LAN celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week
It has always been true that teachers play more than one role in their students’ lives. This has been especially true during the pandemic. For that, we would like to highlight the outstanding work teachers do for our students.
We hope to demonstrate how teachers significantly impact the lives of students and their families, often in ways others can’t understand. This year, teachers have cheerfully risen up to carry new burdens, acting as nurses, IT consultants, social workers and much more.
Below are Q&As from some of our teachers at area school districts.
Stephanie Howard
Canyon Pointe Elementary (Tomball ISD)
Teacher for 18 years
Q: What made you become a teacher?
All my life, I have enjoyed working with younger children. I was the neighborhood babysitter, the lifeguard who gave swim lessons and even taught high school drill team for a few years while in college.
My true passion is in kindergarten, being able to teach them and experience many of their “firsts” — first time to read, write, count, tie their shoes and lose a tooth!
Q: It has always been true that teachers play more than one role in their students’ lives. This has been especially true during the pandemic. How has the pandemic impacted your day-to-day job?
With the pandemic, I have come to see that these kiddos need more than just a teacher. They need someone to make sure they have had their breakfast, give them a hug at any given moment and listen to what is most important in their lives at this time. They need to know that they can count on me for anything. Communication with the parents is crucial because they are unable to come on campus; therefore, virtual meetings or facetime calls are necessary. The job doesn’t end at 4:10 p.m. Parents know they can reach out to me anytime day or night.
Q: What keeps you motivated during these challenging times?
The sweet smiles on my students’ faces keep me motivated. The hugs and “I-love-yous” keep me going daily. The grace and support I receive from my administrators play a HUGE part in keeping me motivated, as well. Without their guidance, I would feel helpless.
Q: What’s one thing you’d like everyone to know about teaching?
It is truly not a job when it is something you love. I love that I get to go to work with these kiddos every day. I love that I get to be their teacher. I love that I get to lay the foundation for their future school years.
Q: What are you looking forward to as the school year comes to an end and the next school year begins to take shape?
As the school year comes to an end, I look forward to the many years that I will watch my kindergarteners grow up. I look forward to the ones that still walk down the hallway to give me a hug. I look forward to watching my very first kindergarteners graduate from high school this year!
I always look forward to the summertime but not for what you might think; I look forward to using the time to better educate myself to prepare me for the next year. I am always thinking, “What can I do better next year?” or “What can I do to make sure my students are engaged and love coming to school?”
Jessica Fritsche, M.Ed.
Brenham Junior High School (Brenham ISD)
Teacher for 3 years
Q: What made you become a teacher?
Romans 12:6-7 talks about the gifts God has given to each of us: the ability to serve, teach, encourage, give, lead and show kindness. If we have these gifts, then we are to use them and use them well. What better way to use these gifts than to become a teacher? My parents embody this bible verse, raised me on the principle of leading by example and blessed my life in such a way that I just have to pay it forward. There are some kids who are growing up without a huge support system in their lives, and I want to not only be that for them, but teach them how to be that for somebody else. I want to foster a sense of belonging and confidence for my kids — the same as my parents and teachers did for me. It is my mission to serve, teach, encourage, give, lead and show kindness to every single student that walks into my classroom. My hope is that they feel loved and valued, and that one day, they will use these gifts to pay their blessings forward when they achieve everything they set their minds to!
Q: It has always been true that teachers play more than one role in their students’ lives. This has been especially true during the pandemic. How has the pandemic impacted your day-to-day job?
The pandemic has forced me to be more intentional with the time that I have with my students. After last year ending so abruptly, I’ve learned to be prepared for anything and everything, while still making each day count. In these unprecedented times, students need more than the basic content and curriculum. They need a support system, cheerleader, teammate, counselor and the ability to just be a kid. Between maintaining a safe and sanitary classroom and creating engaging, effective lessons, teachers have gone above and beyond to provide for their students this year. Educators have answered the call to establish a social learning environment in the midst of masks and social distancing not only with their face-to-face students, but also with their remote learners. After adapting lessons and activities to actively engage students learning from home, the term “tech-savvy” should now be listed at the top of every teacher’s resume! Being intentional with the time you have with your students allows you to recognize and be whatever your kids need you to be for them that day. Teachers have had to wear many new hats this year, but one hat that nothing — not even a pandemic — can change is the relationship-builder hat!
Q: What keeps you motivated during these challenging times?
That’s easy: my kids and the constant support from my fellow teachers! Growing up, I was often told this quote: “When your why has heart, your how grows legs.” Basically, if you want something bad enough, then give it your all and you will figure out a way to make it happen. This pandemic has definitely pushed every teacher to focus on their “why.” As a result, every teacher has given their heart to this profession this year because our “why” is to love and serve our kids. I think the pandemic has provided teachers with a bigger opportunity to serve our students. With so many uncertainties on a day-to-day basis, our kids really needed some consistency and normalcy, so our “how” grew legs and we made this school year happen.
Q: What’s one thing you’d like everyone to know about teaching?
Teaching is about more than what we say, rather it’s how we act. Our students might not always be listening, but they are always watching and looking to us for guidance. How teachers treat others, handle difficult situations and carry themselves is constantly being picked up by our students. While the content and curriculum are an important aspect, the opportunity to lead by example is where a teacher makes the biggest impact.
Q: What are you looking forward to as the school year comes to an end and the next school year begins to take shape?
I am most looking forward to recognizing all of the hard work my students have done this year given the circumstances. Teachers and students could have let this pandemic get in the way of so much (or cause a defeated mentality), but instead we faced each new challenge head on with heart and determination. Now, I’d be lying if I said there weren’t rough days throughout the year, but I’m excited to see how the daily adaptations made by every single teacher impacts where we take the education system next!
Eboni Haynes
Sheldon Elementary (Sheldon ISD)
Teacher for 3 years (10+ years in the education field)
Q: What made you become a teacher?
I spent a few years as a substitute teacher and realized the role black women played on campus and in the lives of their students. I wanted to consistently be a part of that positive change. I also love reaching out to students that need a little extra encouragement to get through the day.
Q: It has always been true that teachers play more than one role in their students’ lives. This has been especially true during the pandemic. How has the pandemic impacted your day-to-day job?
Two major ways. First, the pandemic has heavily impacted students with the responsibility of logging in and staying focused when so much is going on in the world and in their lives. My day-to-day looks like a lot of checking in and making sure students have what they need to be successful. Secondly, hybrid teaching along with all other responsibilities has taught me that I can chew gum and walk at the same time! In fact, I can teach in person, online, check in with parents and support my students!
Q: What keeps you motivated during these challenging times?
My coworkers and knowing that I’m not going through this alone. Sheldon ISD has been great at providing the support we need during this time.
Q: What’s one thing you’d like everyone to know about teaching?
It’s more than just teaching a lesson; it’s shaping the minds and attitudes of individuals daily. The job requires a lot of affirming and encouraging, correcting and redirecting, reflecting and redos. It’s consistently being observed and choosing to be the best you.
Q: What are you looking forward to as the school year comes to an end and the next school year begins to take shape?
Vacation and new beginnings! Rest and then another year to start anew and give it all you’ve got!
Dr. Ashley Schlafly
Creekside Park Junior High (Tomball ISD)
Teacher for 8+ years
Q: What made you become a teacher?
I had amazing teachers influence my decision to enter the education profession, including my mother, who is one of the most incredible teachers I’ve ever seen. I learned from watching both she and others of her caliber that teaching is one of the greatest acts of service you can provide to your community. I knew from a young age that I wanted to spend my professional life making what was around me better. Once I realized how teaching played into that, I began to explore it as a career path. What I have learned is that the reason we, as educators, are able to influence growth and positive changes in our community is because we are distributors of knowledge. We cultivate learning, and knowledge is the most powerful tool when it comes to transforming kids and the world they are entering. It’s an awesome responsibility and one that allows us to make our collective future brighter because of the conversations, learning and growth we see throughout our nine months together.
Q: It has always been true that teachers play more than one role in their students’ lives. This has been especially true during the pandemic. How has the pandemic impacted your day-to-day job?
The pandemic has increased the need for us to care of our students’ social and emotional needs, as well as our teachers. Our District has taken up the mantra of approaching the year with “grace, patience and love,” and this strategy helps remind us to take time for self-care, give ourselves some grace when it comes to the day-to-day and be patient in understanding that this year is just different. It has also been a year where we have come together more than ever to treat all students in our halls as “our” kids. It doesn’t matter who their teacher of record is, nor does it matter your role on campus. Every student is ours. This has enhanced the feeling of family and comradery.
Q: What keeps you motivated during these challenging times?
Very simply, those around me. Education is a team sport. We cannot succeed without our fellow teachers, students, parents and community stakeholders beside us. We plan as a team. We work as a team. We accomplish as a team. I am lucky enough in Tomball to be surrounded by some of the most incredible educators I’ve worked with in my career. And they make me better. They keep me motivated, and they remind me that tomorrow is not just another day; it is another opportunity to build on what worked and get creative to fix what didn’t.
Q: What’s one thing you’d like everyone to know about teaching?
One of my favorite quotes is by the Philosopher William James. He says, “The greatest use of a life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” For me, that is both the most amazing and the most frightening thing about being in education. Our influence on our students lasts for years; what we teach them extends far beyond the classroom, and their effects on us remain long after they leave. Most teachers, even after they leave the traditional classroom, can recall faces, names and anecdotes about their students. Each kiddo that passes through a teacher’s door becomes part of an extended family.
Q: What are you looking forward to as the school year comes to an end and the next school year begins to take shape?
The easy answer is normalcy, but I’m not sure we know what that will look like anymore. I will say I look forward to celebrating the successes of our new normal this year, and I hope to revel in the growth I’ve seen in myself, my colleagues and the students that grace our halls. And I think, most of all, I look forward to the work that is left to be done. There is always more we can do, more innovative ways to deliver curriculum, exciting opportunities to analyze our progress and new ways to approach learning. The most exciting thing is that there are always more students coming our way. I can’t wait to meet them, learn from them and celebrate all we have the privilege of doing here every day. How lucky and blessed we are to get to call ourselves educators for another year!
Greg Gorney
James Bowie Elementary School (Goose Creek CISD)
Teacher for 25 years
Q: What made you become a teacher?
I always wanted to be a teacher growing up. I was fortunate to have incredible, motivating teachers throughout my youth and wanted to inspire students to reach their maximum potential. I also enjoy being around kids, as they keep me young at heart and always smiling. I savor the challenges teaching requires, such as one must constantly be thinking on one’s feet to ensure the class is moving in the right direction to reach our academic goals.
Q: It has always been true that teachers play more than one role in their students’ lives. This has been especially true during the pandemic. How has the pandemic impacted your day-to-day job?
The pandemic has created several challenges for day-to-day teaching. One such challenge has been ensuring that all students have devices and connectivity to attend online classes, as well as the various digital skills each scholar needed to use their devices at the start of the year. Some students were sharing devices within their family and could not attend an online class because a sibling was using the device. Holding students accountable for their learning has been a challenge. Teachers had to ‘flip the classroom” from traditional lessons with all students face-to-face pre-pandemic to electronic versions of lessons and handouts (accessible to students online only). This was a steep learning curve.
However, some things do not change, even during a pandemic. Building relationships with students, whether face-to-face or online, is paramount. Getting to know each student and his/her individual needs gives teachers the ability to ensure their academic success.
There have been times, particularly at the start of the year, when some students were not attending online classes. Teachers would call parents to inquire about their student only to find out family members had COVID-19, and the news was impacting the student. Some families were trusting their young scholars to complete online classes without assistance from families.
Teachers worry about their students’ and families’ welfare always, but even more so during the pandemic. Many of our scholars rely on the school lunch program to provide needed nutrition. Do they have enough food at home to survive? Can someone bring them groceries? Sometimes, education can take a back seat to the health and emotional needs of families.
Q: What keeps you motivated during these challenging times?
Regardless of what is going on around us, we need to move forward. I like the challenge of finding new ways to present content that reaches all my students, so they individually experience success, as well as success as a class. Students can teach me also, as they give me suggestions on how to ensure electronic documents work, tips for using new apps and motivation to persevere. The interaction between my students and myself keeps me going!
Q: What’s one thing you’d like everyone to know about teaching?
Teachers are thankful to have the opportunity and are devoted to the academic achievement of their scholars. We are told to “monitor and adjust” during our daily lessons, and the pandemic allowed us to showcase what we practice daily. We are extremely grateful for the support and encouragement we have received from our school and district leaders, families, communities and businesses. This invaluable support from all stakeholders empowers educators to be creative in their lessons, which have enhanced student success and learning.
Q: What are you looking forward to as the school year comes to an end and the next school year begins to take shape?
I look forward to celebrating the end of this current school year as a successful accomplishment, overcoming so many obstacles this year. The perseverance shown from students, staff and community members has been outstanding.
I look forward to next school year beginning on time, without masks and desk shields, so students can interact and learn from their fellow peers. I look forward to integrating all the technology we gained this year to further move students forward to reach their maximum potential. There is no challenge we cannot overcome!
Heather Kaldis
Brenham Elementary School (Brenham ISD)
Teacher for 16 years
Q: What made you become a teacher?
I embarked on my teaching career as a mother of two children. My son was having an extremely hard time in school. He was “all boy,” with an extreme case of ADHD. He didn’t enjoy school, was in trouble all the time and hated school as early as kindergarten. I became a teacher to become an advocate, a voice, and a teacher for all children, but especially for the children who seem to have a more challenging time in school.
Q: It has always been true that teachers play more than one role in their students’ lives. This has been especially true during the pandemic. How has the pandemic impacted your day-to-day job?
When we first began the 2020-2021 school year, we were teaching both in person and online students. This was extremely challenging. We were all doing the best that we could in a challenging situation, but it was extremely hard on me because I am my worst critic. I didn’t feel like I was able to give anyone 110 percent, which is how I teach. (I am ALL IN!) Thankfully, our district has outstanding leadership who realized how stressful this was for teachers. They quickly made adjustments that benefited all stakeholders following the first six weeks of school.
By far, the most challenging aspect of this school year has been the inability to have parents and relatives at Brenham Elementary. Building strong relationships with parents and guardians is crucial to student success. That has been a HUGE adjustment for me this year. I enjoy shaking hands, hugging and sharing small talk with parents. We were unable to have Open House, holiday programs, class parties and other special events. Teaching children requires a partnership between myself and my students plus their families. The pandemic has made that more of a challenge.
Teaching during a pandemic has been a balancing act of providing a sense of normalcy to students every day while at the same time ensuring I was keeping my students as safe as possible (improvising, adapting and overcoming, if you will). I had to think through everything I did and how it could adversely affect my students. I had to find creative and innovative ways to ensure my students were still active participants in their own learning.
When my kids started school, many of them were terrified that they would get sick, or they would catch the virus and bring it home to relatives. The anxiety was off the charts. Often the kids didn’t even want to take their masks off to drink water. I spent a great deal of time answering their questions, talking and helping to alleviate their fears. Before I could teach them anything, they had to believe they were safe. It took quite a while, but slowly, you could see the transformation as that burden was taken off their shoulders.
Q: What keeps you motivated during these challenging times?
Knowing that for eight hours per day, I can provide some sense of normalcy to my students. As challenging as this time has been for adults, it seems to be infinitely more challenging for children. I know I am a constant in their lives. I am always there to greet them in the mornings and hug their necks before I send them home. Every day is a new day and offers new possibilities. No matter how slow, I know we are moving in the right direction. I am motivated by my students’ smiles, personal notes of thanks, silly stories and goofy TikTok dances they want to teach me. This year, and every other year, the kids are ALWAYS my “why”!
Q: What’s one thing you’d like everyone to know about teaching?
Teaching is NOT state standards, high-stakes testing, lesson plans or grades. Teaching is working tirelessly to build trusting relationships with every child that enters your life regardless of whether they are in your class or not. Teaching is finding the individual potential in each and every single little soul that enters your classroom. Teaching is recognizing the strengths that each child possesses and then fostering those strengths, so all children are able to experience success. Teaching is the hugs, high fives and smiles exchanged. Teaching is NEVER giving up, NEVER throwing in the towel, NEVER allowing a child to say “I can’t!”
Q: What are you looking forward to as the school year comes to an end and the next school year begins to take shape?
First, I am looking forward to sending confident, independent 4th graders off to middle school for the next step in their educational journey. Many of my kids have indicated they are scared about the transition, as they have been at Brenham Elementary since kindergarten. This will be a big change for them, and I feel like it’s my job to help them feel more comfortable.
As we look forward to the new school year, I look forward to the possibilities a new year brings. I pray that we continue to move in a forward direction in terms of the pandemic, and we are able to get back to normal (or the “new normal”). I look forward to learning from new people, challenging and growing myself as an educator and working collaboratively with my team to grow all children.
Isabelle MacCrimmon
Stafford Middle School (Stafford MSD)
Teacher for less than one year
Q: What made you become a teacher?
I wanted to bring my unique expertise and skills to help younger generations develop critical thinking skills and develop media literacy. I think those skills are critical for success in the future.
Q: It has always been true that teachers play more than one role in their students’ lives. This has been especially true during the pandemic. How has the pandemic impacted your day-to-day job?
I don’t have anything to compare to, since this is my first year (and what a year to start teaching). However, I am seeing that students need a lot of emotional support, and they need to learn about the resources available to them. It’s also been a big time-management challenge because not only do I have to develop my own curriculum, but I also have to translate it to an online platform so that I can engage remote and face-to-face students at the same time. Thankfully, technology is something that comes naturally to me, but I know this has been a huge challenge for longtime teachers.
Q: What keeps you motivated during these challenging times?
Seeing that “lightbulb” moment (i.e., that click in the student’s mind when they understand or “get it”) is what I live for. It’s so rewarding. During the pandemic, it’s also seeing the turnaround. Maybe it’s a student who was withdrawing while remote but blossoming when they return to face-to-face instruction. Bottom line, it’s feeling like I actually made a difference in a student’s life.
Q: What’s one thing you’d like everyone to know about teaching?
Teaching is a work of love. It’s like hardcore parenting. It’s not just about passing on knowledge, but it’s also about shaping our future.
Jeffrey Sam
ABS West (Harris County Department of Education)
Teacher for 22 years
Q: What made you become a teacher?
I have a strong passion for learning and sharing what I have learned with others. Upon deciding to become a teacher, I had a good number of friends that were teachers, and I was seeing the impact that they were making on the lives of children. I discovered that I wanted a career in a field in which I could help others and teaching was a great path to achieve this desire.
Q: It has always been true that teachers play more than one role in their students’ lives. This has been especially true during the pandemic. How has the pandemic impacted your day-to-day job?
The pandemic brought on immense challenges that teachers have never faced before. When the pandemic started, the wonderful team at my school developed a plan for how we were going to facilitate learning using technology. With my knowledge of various software programs, I used this knowledge to develop interactive lessons to engage students online. It was amazing to see my students have the same joy for learning online as they did in the classroom. Upon returning to campus, I was assigned to work in a classroom of autistic students that attended in person, as well as online. In order to educate these students, I became knowledgeable and fluent using a dynamic Reading and Math program that was provided by the Harris County Department of Education (HCDE). I saw how these students flourished by using this program, and they exhibited a lot of joy knowing that they could do the assignments.
Even though we were equipped with technological tools to connect with our virtual students, we discovered that our roles extended beyond the curriculum. Not only was I an educator, but I served as a liaison, counselor, a kind ear and a father figure by providing emotional support to students and parents that were dealing with issues related to the pandemic. Families were struggling in various areas, which touched us all in many ways, and a lot of times, they just needed someone to talk to. Mrs. Briggs, my educational aide, and I were consistent with making daily contact with the parents to help provide them with information and services that could help them during this challenging time.
Q: What keeps you motivated during these challenging times?
I’ve always been a positive, optimistic person. My mission is to help as many students as I can, so I keep that as my focus. Being able to help anyone by bringing some form of comfort assures me of peace at the closing of the day.
Q: What’s one thing you’d like everyone to know about teaching?
Teaching heals the heart in more ways than one can imagine. It gives me courage to boldly walk back into the classroom again and again to make a difference in a child’s world.
Q: What are you looking forward to as the school year comes to an end and the next school year begins to take shape?
I am looking forward to reflecting on the challenges that were faced and how the ABS West family successfully made it through. I look to bring more innovative methods of delivering instruction into the next school year.